As a business owner you know a lot of people, and you continue to meet new people.  This is your network.  But what are you doing with it?  How often do you connect with people in your network?  Do you have a plan to stay in touch consistently and develop your relationships?

If you’ve been neglecting your network it’s time to make some changes.  It’s never too late to begin where you are and start connecting with the people you know.

Networking is about giving first.  It’s about building relationships over time with people.  If you don’t invest in nurturing and growing your relationships with people in your network, then your network will become nothing more than a list of names in a database. 

When you stay in touch and develop relationships with people, your business will be top of mind when people need your products or services.  This also increases the number of referrals people will give to your business. 

To nurture a relationship, you must give it attention and energy. There are loads of ways to connect with people (many of which are very inexpensive).  You can:

* Pick up the phone

* Send an e-mail

* Send a note the old fashioned way (otherwise known as snail-mail using the post)

* Meet in person for coffee, lunch or a drink

Finding a reason to connect isn’t hard to do.  You don’t have to wait for something big to happen; little things can mean a lot too.  Here are just a few ideas:

- No specific reason, just to see what’s new and catch up

- Birthdays or anniversaries

- Sharing an article, book, website, or other resource

How often you touch base depends on the kind of relationship you have with each person.  For some people connecting twice a year is perfect and for others every three months is appropriate.  You might have monthly contact with people you know quite well and for very close relationships perhaps even more frequently.

Think about different types of people you know and how often you’d like to be in touch with:

> New acquaintances

> Current clients

> Inactive clients

> Former colleagues

> Suppliers for your business

The key to successfully nurturing your network is to create a structured plan.  Random acts of kindness and connection never hurt, but to really build a relationship it’s better to have consistent contact. 

To make it easy to stay in touch, you need to use a system to keep track of who you want to contact and when.  If you rely on your memory you won’t get very far.

You can create a system by setting reminders in your own contact database.  Or if you use Outlook, you can use the ‘Tasks’ feature where you can make notes with reminder dates.

The type of system you use isn’t important.  What is important is having a system and taking action.  Find something that works for you and get started today. 

By using a system, nurturing your network will become a regular habit and it won’t seem like such a big task. 

Spending the time and energy getting to know your network is an investment with an enormous return.  Not only is it fun, it will help you expand your business.    

Are you starting to see the value of reaching out to the people you know and building a relationship over time?  Make the decision to create a plan to nurture your network and build connections that will thrive over time.

© Stephanie Ward, 2008

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this information with it: Stephanie Ward is the Marketing Coach for Entrepreneurs who want to set their profits on fire!  Grab your FREE copy of the special report ’7 Steps to Attract More Clients in Less Time’ plus business building tips, at: http://www.fireflycoaching.com.

Before we talk about specific networking tips I want to address a critical aspect of networking that is often overlooked.  Sometimes we are so eager to network that we don’t stop to consider whether or not we are investing our energy in the right places. 

Listen, you can go to all of the networking meetings under the sun and collect hundreds of business cards while you’re at it but if you’re not hanging out with people you can do business with, you might make some new friends, you won’t necessarily grow your business.

If you want to grow your business by networking it is imperative that you network with: people who are your ideal clients, people who know your ideal clients, and/or people who do business with your ideal clients.  It’s that simple.  So before you sign up for your next networking event, ask yourself if it is a good fit for your business.

When you network with people who need your products/services (or know others who do) there will be a natural interest in knowing more about your business.  Stop, not so quick – the story of you and your business comes later.  First, let’s walk through what happens at a networking event and I will give you a tip for each step.

Step 1: Meeting People

Enter the room with confidence, stand up straight and smile.  Look for a friendly face and introduce yourself.  If you don’t see an opportunity to meet someone right away don’t panic.  A sure fire way to strike up a conversation is to get in a line (to sign in, for food, for drinks, for the restrooms).

You can also approach the person hosting the event and ask for an introduction.  In addition, if the list of attendees is available prior to the meeting you can identify someone you would like to meet and approach someone to ask if the person you are looking for is at the meeting.

Step 2: Getting to Know People – The Ed Principle

Instead of trying to be interestING (focusing on the ‘ing’) be interestED (focus on the ‘ed’) in the person you are talking with.  You don’t have to worry about what you will say (except for your brief pitch which comes later).

In fact, you can make it a goal to talk as little as possible, I promise you will be remembered as a marvelous conversationalist.  Memorize this phrase: ‘Tell me more about…’ and use it!  Just relax, be yourself and listen. 

Step 3: Giving First

Yes I know, the reason you are networking in the first place is because you want to get something.  You want to meet more of your ideal clients and meet people who can refer to your ideal clients.

But don’t forget, networking is a two way street.  It is about building relationships.  I know you have something interesting to share, so why not give first?  Perhaps you can recommend a great book or website, share an article, or maybe you can make a valuable introduction.

Step 4: Your Perfect Pitch

Eventually the person you are talking with may ask you what you do, so be ready!  Don’t ramble on about how long you have been in business or how your business process works.

Do prepare a fabulous, short, and memorable pitch (10-30 seconds long) that clearly communicates what you do and for whom you do it.

Step 5: Ending a Conversation

Remember, all conversations must end at some point so don’t be afraid to politely excuse yourself and thank the person for her time.

Reasons to wrap up can include going to get another drink, something to eat, going to the restroom, or needing to talk with someone before they leave.  Whatever the reason, be honest and be genuine.

Step 6: Follow Up and Follow Through

This one is so simple and important yet somehow it frequently gets ignored.  If you promise to do something (call, send an article, make an introduction) do it!

Think about making use of these networking tips the next time you plan to do some networking.  The truth is people do business with people they know, like, and trust.  This occurs over time and is all about building relationships, not about collecting business cards.  Be yourself, be real and have fun!

(c) Stephanie Ward

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this information with it: Stephanie Ward is the Marketing Coach for Entrepreneurs who want to set their profits on fire!  Grab your FREE copy of the special report ’7 Steps to Attract More Clients in Less Time’ plus business building tips, at: http://www.fireflycoaching.com.